Beet harvester



Jan. 16, 1951 C, W. WALZ ETAL 2,538,402

BEET HARVESTER 1N V EN T ORS C. W. WALZ ET AL BEET HARVESTER 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 16, 1951 Filed Dec.

IN VEN TORS CLAUDE W WAL THOMAS J. RISLEY Jan. 16, 1951 c. w. wALz ET AL2,533,402

BEET HARVESTER Filed Dec. 18, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3

36 40 |86 INVENTORS CLAUDE W. WALZ- THOMAS J. RISLEY A T ORNE YS.

Jan. 16, 1951 c w, WApZ ET AL 2,538,402

BEET HARVESTER CLAUDE W. WA THOMAS J. RISLEY above. Each pair is adaptedto receive a pair of laterally spaced generally longitudinally extendingbars or pipe members 36 and 31 which are held together in laterallyspaced relation in any suitable manner and of which members 36constitute a part of an auxiliary dirigible wheel unit indicated in itsentirely by the reference numeral 40. The above mentioned Brown patentdiscloses the details of the auxiliary dirigible unit 40, and hence thesame need not be described in detail here. It suices to note that thedirigible wheel unit 40 comprises a truck frame 4| receiving a pair ofrelatively closely spaced ground wheels 42 at its lower end and at itsupper end is extending laterally to receive the members 36. Preferably,the latter are of substantial length and dimensioned so as to slide inand out of the tubular frame extensions 3 and 4. Also, portions of thebars 36 and 31 are provided with rack teeth I45 which are adapted to beengaged by pinions carried by the tractor frame and mounted on a shaft41 which may be rotated to extend or retract the slidable members 36 and31 in the frame extensions 3 and 4, as desired. The wheels 42 raresteerable, being journaled on the lower end of a generally verticallydisposed spindle which extends upwardly and is connected with a steeringgearing that is actuated by a telescopic shaft unit 49 actuated by thesteering wheel 50 of the tractor. A second telescopic shaft unit 5|extends forwardly from the frame of the tractor and provides forsteering the dirigible wheels of the auxiliary truck unit Iwhere thesame is mounted in the front frame extensions 3 and 4. The front ends ofthe front frame extensions 3 and 4 are also provided with a pinioncarrying shaft 41 which provides for longitudinal shifting of thedirigible wheeled truck unit that is mounted, if desired,pin the forwardframe extensions.

The harvesting mechanism that is carried by the tractor I comprises, ingeneral, a front or topper unit 60 and a rear unit 6I including pullermechanism 62 and conveyor mechanism 63.

These several units are mounted on the tractor I by'suitable frameworkthat'is detachably con`- nected with the tractor frame. For mounting thetopper unit i|50, there is provided a pair of vertical bars '66 and 61that are bolted to the front side of the axle .housings |4. A pair oflinks 1| and 12 nare pivotally connected at their rear ends to thelowerk ends of the bars 66 and AIi'I and lat their forward'ends areconnected together by a cross bar 143. A topping unit frame I4 ispivotally connected at its rear end to the cross bar 13 and extendsforwardly and is supported by links 16 which are connected at theirupper ends to a pair of arms 11 connected to a tubular rockshaft 18 thatis mounted for rocking movement on a relatively heavy cross bar 19 thatis fixed u in any suitable manner to the forward frame bars 31.. Thetopping unit 60 includes a topping knife 85 pivoted, at 86, to the rearportion'of the topping frame 14 iand is link connected to a pair of armsy01 which at their forward ends are con' nected to beet-engaging ndermeans 88. The frame 14carries rotatable crop engaging mechanism 90 whichincludes a rotatable drum-9| having crop engaging ngers 92. A chain 93Vconnects the topping-drum 9| with the wheels of the finder mechanism'88: A top discharge conveyor 91 is mounted on Ythe topping frame'14 forlaterally shiftable movement, and-the top conveyor unit '91 includes apair of'endless chains 98y connected 4 i by flights 99 and mounted formovement over the platform |0| of the conveyor 91. The topping drum 9|is rotated in a direction to remove the tops from the knife and deliverthem. over onto the conveyor 91. cured to the left end of a transverseshaft |64 carried by the frame of the tractor. The right end of theshaft has an arm |05 that is connected by a link |06 to the transversebar 13, and a link |01 at the left side of the machine extends forwardlyfrom the lever |03 to an arm |03 on the rockshaft 18. The hand leverV|03 operates along the usual notched sector, having cooperating detentmechanism, and by swinging the hand lever |03 in one direction or theother the topping frame14 may be raised or lowered as desired, and heldat will in any position of adjustment. The present invention is notparticularly concerned with the details per se of the topping mechanism,these `being disclosed and claimed'in U. S. Patent 2,433,799, issuedDecember 30, 1947 to Claude W. Walz, Clarence T. Rasmussen and Howard F.Clausen to which ,refr erence may be made for a more detaileddescription of this mechanism. A yoke |I0 is mounted at the forward endsof the frame bars 31, as by being fixed to a tubular shaft section I I Imounted on the-cross shaft 18 between a pair of collars |09. The yoke||0 carries colters I|2 connected to the forward portion of the yoke IIOby standards I I3. The colter yoke I |0 may be raised and lowered by anysuitable means, such as a hand lever ||4 or the like at the right sideof the machine and whichvis accessible to the operator mounted on theseat 26 of the tractor and connected by a link ||5 toan arm I I6 on thetubular shaft section l.

The beet lifting or pulling mechanism and Vrear conveyor means will nowbe described. A pair of puller point members I2I is mounted on a pair ofvertical Shanks |22 that is-carried--by a framework |23 that is slidablysupported in any suitable manner on a cross frame member I 25 fixed tothe rear frame extensions 3 and 4. A pair of short shafts |26 isjournaledforvrotation inthe framework' |23 and suitablygearedl together.A bevel gear |21 is xed to the forward end of each shaft |26 Vand mesheswith a second bevel gear |28 xed to the upper end of a kicker wheelshaft |29. Each kicker wheel shaft is supported for rotation in asupporting bracket 3| that is carried bv the associated shaft |26,whereby each bracket |3I. together with the associated kicker wheelshaft |29, may swing inwardly and outwardly to accommodate differentsizes of beets.r A kicker wheel |32 is fixed to the lower Yend of eachkicker wheel shaft I29. The inner shaft |26 (Figure 3) carries a pulleyor gear and is .driven by a belt or chain |33 from a pulley or gear on alongitudinally extending shaft |34 which is connected bya chain |35Y tothe power takeoff shaft 32 of the tractor. The rear end of the shaft |34carriesV a bevel gear |4| which meshes with a companion gear on atransverse shaft |42 which drives an upper transverse conveyor shaft |43througha'chain |44 or the like. The shaft |43 carries sprockets or thelike which support'the upper end of a generally downwardly andforwardly'extending elevator |46, the lower end of which is disposedrearwardly and underneath the kicker wheels |32. The lower en dcf theelevator I 46`may be raised and lowered by-anysuitable mechanism,likewise the puller lQints I2 I, kicker wheels |32 andasscciated parts Ahand lever |03 is se.

` e;asserita4 frame members. :iiiL Theframework lk 'held extendforwardlyandare. connected to upper end of a framework. liiltthat.r includes apair of forward vertical'liars |'51`fastened'at their lower endsrto therear sidesY of4v the axle housingsexl' 'The upper: endsv of theLver-ticalt frame bars |51 are connected by bracing links |58 to theforward portion of the tractor frame and by links |59 to the rearportion of the tractor frame, as best shown in Figure 1. Y The rearconveyor unit 63 comprises a laterall swingabley relatively heavy frame|60 which includes a pair of generally upwardly extending bars IBI, theupper end portions |62 of which converge forwardly and upwardly toreceive a vertical pivot shaft |63 whichis supported at its upper andlower rends by triangular frame extensions |64 and |65 rigidly connectedto the vertical framework |52. Alower triangular 'frame extension |66connects the lower portions of the bars I6! with the lower end of thepivot shaft |63, acting in compression to maintain the bars |6| inposition. The lower ends of the bars |6| support a hopper construction|63 which receives beets or other crop from the elevator |46. A rearelevator |16 including side bars |1|, is pivoted at its forward endas at|12, to the lower ends of the frame bars |6| and carries rollers,sprockets and the like over which an endless conveyor chain |13 isdisposed, the forward portion |14 of which operates in the lower portionof and forms the bottom of the hopper |68. The conveyor chain |13 isdriven by any suitable means, preferably by an extension shaft |16 thatis connected by a universal joint |11 to a short drive shaft |18 carriedby the laterally swingable framework |60. A pinion |19 is xed' to theforward end of the shaft |18 and meshes with a loose pinion |81 mountedon the Ipivot shaft |63. xed to the rear end of a drive shaft |86, theforward end of which is connected by sprocket and chain means |85 to therear portion |86 of the shaft I 34, being connected in this way with thepower takeoff shaft 32 of the tractor. The outer end of the elevator issupported kby cables 19j extending therefrom forwardly and upwardly to atransverse bar |92 which is carried at the upper end ofthe pivot shaft|63. The cross bar |92 may be swung laterally in one direction or theother so as to swing the elevator |16 laterally in one direction or theother, and to this end a sector |93 is fixed to the cross bar |62 andreceives operating mechanism |94 by which the entire rear elevator unit63 may be swung into dilferent positions laterally, relative to thetractor, and locked in selected positions as by a clamp |95. The presentinvention is not especially concerned with the particular details per seof the rear elevator mechanism and associated parts, since these aresubstantially the same as the construction shown in U. S. Patent2,438,627, issued March 30, 1948 to Claude W. Walz, Clarence T.Rasmussen and Robert D. Griff.

While we have shown kand described above the The pinion Isl meshes witha pinion |32 6 structure-. which they'A lprincipieseV of;presenitinvention have. been: incorporated, it tenne vrifriderstooet'`that-our invention? is not-irte be? torv the particular? detaflsshowrr.and

meansfmay be: employed' in` they practicefy of thebroader-aspectsofour'inventione Whatfweclaim; therefore; andi desirattrsecure byfliettersfPatentlis:

loy I? A beet.liarvesterY adapted-1 to be mountedon af.two'--wlieellunstable type of tractor; hav-ing a central power plant, drivingtraction w-lieels'axid 'ani auxiliary: detachable set ofsteerable-ground Wheel'sfdilsposedrat' thefrear ofsaidtraetiorrwlieels',

I5; 'said'f'liarvestercompsingf a topping uniti' adapted'ttrf-eamo-u-ntedf on the frontx oflsaid tractor; and af-lieetzftiingadaptedtoI be mounted oir-the rear off sa-id tractoreandi-neludingbeet' lifters ldfs' posed forward of said grountlf'i wheels-'- andeone1lliveyingff'meansrv receiving beets from said lifters andiy disposedgenerally over said ground wheels.

2. A beet harvester comprising a mobile support having laterally spacedfront frame extensions, laterally spaced rear frame extensions, and

a rearwardly disposed supporting wheel unit carrying dirigible wheelmeans, a topping unit, means for supporting said topping unit on thefront frame extensions comprising a pair of laterally spaced partsinteriitting -with and secured to said front frame extensions and meansmounting said topping unit on said laterally spaced parts, a beetlifting unit including a pair of lifter shoes carried by said rear frameextensions and conveyor means receiving beets from said lifter shoes andcarried by said rearwardly disposed dirigible lwheel means.

3. A beet harvester-tractor unit comprising a tractor of the two-wheelunstable type having. a generally centrally mounted power plant, a pairof drive wheels driven thereby, and both forward and rearwardlyextending frame extensions, a beet topping unit mounted on the forwardframeextension adjacent the front end thereof, a beet conveyor unitmounted on the rear end L5 of the rearward frame extensions, avdirigible wheel unit carrying the rear end of said rearward frameextension and a major portion of the Weight of said conveyor unit, and abeet puller unit carried by said rearward frame extension adjacent theforward portion thereof and adjasaid topping unit, a rearwardlyextending beet elevator mounted at the rear end portions of said rearframe sections, and av rear/ dirigible wheel unit connected to the rearportions of said rear frame sections and supporting a substantialportion of the weight of said beet lifting unit,

said beet elevator extending rearwardly of said dirigible wheel meanswhereby the latter also supports at least a major portion of theA weightof said beet elevator.

5. A beet harvester-tractorgunit comprisinga tractor of the two-wheelunstable type having a generally centrally mounted power plantlflterallyoutwardly extending drive axle sections extending laterally outwardlyfromsaid i5 power plant, and both fore and aft extending ,with respectthereto.

frame sections, a beet topping unit at the forward side of the centrallymounted power plant, frame means fixed to said axle housing sections atthe forward side thereof and supporting the rear portion of said toppingunit, means supporting the forward portion of said topping unit on theforward portions of said forward frame sec tions, rear frame means fixedto said axle ,housing sections at the rear side thereof, and a beetlifting unit carried partly by said rear frame means and partly by therear frame sections of said tractor.

6. The invention set forth in claim 5, further vcharacterized by each ofsaid tractor frame sections comprising generally longitudinallyextending laterally spaced tubular portions and said implement framemeans including parts extending into said tubular portions in telescopicrelation CLAUDE W. wALz.y THOMAS J. RISLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record `in the le ofthis patent:

AUNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 1, 1920

